Where did the party go? Re "Democrats are compromised to death," Opinion, Dec. 26 Neal Gabler is right: The Democratic Party represents "interests" and is no longer committed to the principles that favor the powerless. To gain a majority, it must appeal to as many progressive groups as it can without being labeled "liberal. " It is this retreat that recently led it to measures favoring the wealthy: eliminating Glass-Steagall under President Clinton, and supporting the banks and corporations under President Obama.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has become the second-youngest person to be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Zuckerberg announced the news Wednesday on ? where else? ? Facebook, the juggernaut social media website that has more than 500 million users worldwide. "Being named as Time Person of the Year is a real honor and recognition of how our little team is building something that hundreds of millions of people want to use to make the world more open and connected," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook fan page.

Former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota said he won't pursue the Republican National Committee chairmanship as long as Michael Steele wants to keep the job. Coleman told the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Friday that part of his decision is based on respect for Steele, despite criticism directed against the current chairman from within the party. Coleman said he doesn't think Steele has gotten enough credit for the work he's done bringing the "tea party" movement and the GOP together.

Both parties have reelected their Senate leaders for the 112th Congress, with Democrat Harry Reid and Republican Mitch McConnell retaining their posts as majority and minority leaders. The Senate leadership votes were largely a formality, unlike the vote to come Wednesday in the House Democratic caucus. Reid, after surviving a bitter reelection battle in Nevada, returns as Senate majority leader for the third straight Congress; he has led Democrats for the last six years. There had been speculation that McConnell, the party's leader since 2007, could face a challenge within his party from Jim DeMint, a conservative South Carolina senator who has emerged as a leader within the "tea party" movement.

A new class of freshman lawmakers came to Capitol Hill on Monday to learn the ways of Washington ? while the conservative activists taking credit for sweeping them into office warned them not to learn Washington's ways too well. About 100 new lawmakers walked the halls of Congress for the first time since this month's election, many of them conservatives proud of their limited political experience and planning to shake up Washington. Two new members of the Senate ? Democrats Chris Coons of Delaware and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia ?

The "tea party" movement, a loose amalgam of activists united chiefly by their determination to make government smaller, was on track to elect dozens of Republicans on Tuesday night ? and to confirm its standing as a rising power in national politics. Tea party-backed candidates scored early victories in several high-profile contests. In Florida, Marco Rubio was elected to the Senate, defeating two opponents. And in Kentucky, Rand Paul, one of the movement's highest-profile figures, capped success with a rousing declaration of movement values.

November 3, 2010 | By Ashley Powers and P.J. Huffstutter, Los Angeles Times

Fresh from a tough reelection battle, Sen. Harry Reid on Wednesday offered an olive branch and a warning as Democrats prepared to deal with the new era of divided government in Washington. In a prepared statement issued in the early-morning hours, Reid said he was looking forward to working with the new Senate, where Republicans would have at least six more members and the GOP caucus a decidedly more conservative tilt because of the effect of lawmakers backed by the "tea party" movement.

Christine O’Donnell, the Senate candidate who questioned whether separation of church and state was explicitly in the Constitution, said on Tuesday that she prays that her supporters will turn out and snatch victory from what polls say is a likely defeat. “I’m feeling very excited,” O’Donnell said after voting and dropping off a box of doughnuts, one of America’s favorite comfort foods. “It’s neck and neck and I’m praying that everybody turns out.” O’Donnell, who upset the GOP establishment to win the Senate nomination, and her Democratic opponent, Chris Coons, voted Tuesday morning in Wilmington, Del. They are fighting for the seat held for more than 30 years by Vice President Joe Biden.

Marco Rubio, a "tea party" movement favorite, was elected to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, easily winning a three-way race that included Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a one-time rising star in the Republican Party. The victory means a conservative will take over the Senate seat now held by a more moderate Republican. The Senate's division between the major parties won't change, but the GOP will continue its move to the right. Democrat Kendrick Meek, who ran third, waged what has been a traditional Democratic campaign in this midterm cycle, backing the Obama administration's efforts on economic stimulus, healthcare insurance overhaul and Wall Street regulation.

A high-spirited crowd numbering in the tens of thousands swamped the National Mall on Saturday, overwhelming the city's public transportation system as people flocked to what organizers billed as a "comedic call for calm. " Much of the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear," put on by "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart and his Comedy Central colleague Stephen Colbert, resembled a large-scale variety show, with humorous sketches and surprise musical guests such as Kid Rock, Tony Bennett and Yusuf Islam, the former Cat Stevens.